UND-FB-FAN

Offense needs more talent and that talent will come with time. The fastest players on the offense are Santiago, Smith, and Georges. Two of those three are true freshmen and the other is injured. Santiago has improved already with his vision, and both Santiago and Smith will improve leaps and bounds over the next year. Also, the hope is Georges can make some plays downfield when he returns. With that said, the system (a.k.a. Coach Rudolph) needs to better utilize the offensive players' skills. Just last week I finally saw that with Smith taking jet sweep hand-offs and also faking that action, which allowed for both Santiago and Studsrud to find open gaps inside. Would also like to see some bubble screens, hot smoke routes, etc. to these players out in space. This is necessary to open up the middle of the defense for the power running game.

For some, step away from the ledge (in regards to UND being overrated and going nowhere). I understand where your concerns come from, but NDSU has badly beat many FCS teams in the Fargodome over the past few years that have gone on to winning seasons (2012 Youngstown State, 2012 Illinois State, 2014 South Dakota State, 2014 Youngstown State, etc.). NDSU has a very good home-field advantage and they have a very good football team. UND can still do very well this season despite their lone loss to NDSU. Against Portland State, I'm hoping the offense can continue their success running the football with Santiago and Smith (maybe even Olivera), and Studsrud can improve in the passing game. For a win, UND's defense needs to shut down the option run attack of Portland State and force a turnover or two.

McDonagh lost the starting QB job but is seeing the field plenty at WR now.

To a degree, the offense already did that last week with over 200 yards rushing; I hope they can keep that going with the offensive line changes. The passing game does need to improve, though. With that said, the receivers need to step up every bit as much as the QB.

Absolutely. Since we've only had one game with changes to the offensive line - and UND rushed for 240 yards in that game - I'd say its okay to assume UND can continue to successfully run the ball. If UND continues to rush over 200 yards, they should win most of the games on their schedule. This will be Portland State's biggest challenge in terms of defending the run.

The team needs to win in order to draw sellout numbers (10,000+), and that is the largest factor; however, the Alerus Center needs to do their part as well. The Alerus Center and UND need to do their best to turn football games into an "event"; that seems kind of intuitive to me, but it may not for most. Its been said before, but there is some truth to it: what does the REA do that could be transferred over to the Alerus? Here's a list that comes to mind: 1) Bar on concourse (maybe even on endzones platforms) for pregame and halftime. Playmakers and Tavern United are nice, but they are not for "in-game" action. 2) More pictures, memorabilia, etc.around the concourse. Need to make the Alerus Center look more like the home of UND football. 3) More in-game interactive features and music. During the game, when "dead moments" hit, there needs to be more music and features on the video boards (I like the inclusion of the 'dance cam' or whatever its called). Also, pump up the crowd a bit more with a half-way decent team entrance presentation (lights off, pump up music, video board/pyrotechnic usage, etc.). These things may seem minor, but they keep the neutral crowd involved, and most importantly, from leaving prematurely. Lastly, and again, just win.

3-1 despite him? There are several good things that Studsrud does that go unnoticed. For example, yesterday he got outside the pocket and threw the ball away on a couple occasions that would have certainly resulted in 10 yard losses if Mollberg or Bartles were in the game. Also, does Bartles or Mollberg pull off a 20 yard run at the end of the game to keep the defense off the field? Studsrud needs to improve, but right now the team is 3-1 (1-0). Its time to focus on improvement and not change. This whole "throw the QB under the bus" talk is such Monday Morning quarterbacking that it really is quite ridiculous.

Name one WR on UND's roster that is all-conference type? What was the score in the third quarter of yesterday's game at one point? 28-10 Point is, UND does not have the playmakers out wide to consistently throw the football downfield; therefore, when the score of the game allows for it, the running game will be the offensive focus this season. Yes, the passing game needs to improve, but simply playing musical chairs with the QBs is not the answer. Give it a year or two to get better talent upfront on the offensive line and at receiver. For now, it's all about running the ball and play-action to simply keep defenses honest. When Georges comes back, you may see more deep shots downfield.

Studsrud's starting spot is very safe, at least as of now. Rudolph's offense uses plenty of QB runs and Bartles and Mollberg do not have that ability. Everybody mentions Mollberg without knowing how is mobility his after last season's Achilles injury, and Bartles has no mobility at all. Studsrud is a 4.60 40 QB who will get better at the passing game as the year goes on. Also will help when Georges gets back. Yesterday's game didn't need much of a passing game considering how UND was running the ball, so let's keep things in perspective. Biggest concern out of yesterday's game is UND's pass defense and tackling ability in open space. Yes, the passing game needs to improve, but Studsrud is still young and will get better. Not to mention UND's receiving corps doesn't have any studs in it either. Mollberg and Bartles don't have the mobility for how Rudolph wants to play offense.

A year later and the perception of UND football hasn't changed one bit: confidence in the defense and complete doubtfulness and nervousness regarding the offense. I love the way UND wants to play offense with a power running attack and play-action off of that, but they still have to open it up a bit more in order to get the running game going. Too much of a "banging heads against a brick wall" approach.

Offensive line play relies on chemistry and familiarity. There won't be any rotations. If the changes are made, they will be permanent as far as this season goes. I hope Cox starts at center and Grady starts at RG.

I couldn't agree more. UND had an excited fan base at the Potato Bowl against Drake and many who weren't in attendance were curious and paying close attention. Unfortunately, those excited, curious fans got nothing but disappointment after the Drake game and blowout against NDSU. All in all, the past two games have killed the buzz generated from the Wyoming game. Now, if UND can get a nice win streak going to start conference play, excitement could start building again.

HOW they get these young playmakers (John Santiago, Iwarri Smith, etc.) the ball is also important. I think the powerback types of Olivera, Norberg, and Arrington need to be playing with the power running game whereas Santiago and Smith need to play in more open space and even some out wide. This would allow the team to run power and then counter with bubble screens/quick passes to the outside to keep the defense honest. All in all, regardless of the player, I just want to see Rudolph call more plays that swing the ball out wide in order to take pressure off the struggling interior offensive line. Once defenses are playing more honest, then the power running game will hit some big gainers.

Didn't realize we were having a politically correct conversation. Someone should tip their hat <in electronic fashion> when that's agreed upon. I'm disappointed the young man has left; there's always roles for players that aren't starting, especially guys with starting experience. With that said, Brown was not performing at the level that should be expected moving forward.

Mussman recruit; was not a top player by any means. It's disappointing that he would quit, but perhaps the fact that he's a Mussman recruit says it all. Watch for Bubba's recruits to continue to fill starting roles. They are young now, but in a year or two, watch out.

I agree that it isn't all on the talent; however, most of it is. With that said, Rudolph and the offensive staff need to gameplan and call plays with some ingenuity. They can't be so predictable and they have to do a better job of getting playmakers (John Santiago, Josh Seibel, Iwarri Smith, Clive Georges when he comes back etc.) the ball in space whenever the offensive line can't get the power running game going. Last Saturday against NDSU, when the offensive line was struggling on first and second down, it was time for some quick plays to the outside to stretch the NDSU defense horizontally a bit.

Jer Garman was not a good DI running back. Maybe at the DII level, but not at this level; he didn't have the size nor the strength to be considered a good DI running back. Look at the top Big Sky Conference running backs over the past few years, or the RBs that NDSU has had during their championship streak; Garman doesn't compare to them. He benefited from decent blocking and poor competition at the end of last season.

That 2012 Montana team was average at best. Let's stop praising Mussman's teams as if they had unstoppable offenses. If UND's offense was so good in 2012, UND would have won more than 5 games. Bubba believes running the football, maximizing time of possession, and minimizing turnovers is the best way for UND to play offense considering the regional recruits. I agree with that mindset; there are not very many DI skill position players in North Dakota and Minnesota but plenty of offensive linemen/tight end types. With that said, it will still take time for Bubba and his staff to build up the roster with upper-tier FCS players.

Agree. Let's call it what it is. UND doesn't have enough quality starting offensive linemen yet.

No football team is ever as "good as they can be right now". Hard work and subsequent improvement is always possible; therefore, striving for continual improvement is crucial. UND's prospective recruits will compare UND to NDSU, so although it sounds nice to say comparing is not the solution, decisions based on comparisons are going to happen. Bubba wants UND to be the best football program in the Big Sky Conference, but in order for that to happen, UND may also have to be the best team in the state of North Dakota.

The similarities between UND and NDSU (e.g., same recruits, proximity, same regional fan base, etc.) will always keep NDSU on UND's radar. To just ignore NDSU and their success would be ignorant and closed-minded, and as a result, UND would remain complacent in their own little bubble. This game needs to be played, primarily due to the history and proximity of these two DI FCS program. Also, as far as Bubba's thinking on playing it now, it needed to be done so that the players and athletic department could get a realization of what it's going to take to get to the top. UND has a ways to go, and by playing the game and experiencing the atmosphere that NDSU football has built, Bubba has plenty of examples to use as teaching tools.

Let's not make this too complicated. If you're going to base the offense on running the football, you have to have a good offensive line. Right now, UND has a poor to below average offensive line. "Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity." It may be time to try new players. Insert Cox into either Boas or Miller's spot and perhaps even think about playing Elijah Grady. It's may be time to replace the "hogs" who simply don't fit the mold as far as a smashmouth DI offense goes. If UND's offensive lineup goes unchanged and predictably struggles on Saturday, I'll be disappointed in the coaching staff's inability to make adjustments. Fortunately, UND may be able to keep their offensive unit intact and still be effective, because UC Davis won't be like NDSU's defense. With that said, Drake wasn't supposed to be that effective defensively either...

Mussman's teams also couldn't win (averaged 4 total wins per season as a member of Big Sky Conference). If Mussman's offenses were so good, they would've won more than that.

That's easier said than done. I mean, we're talking about an entire unit here; when you have a good defense but a bad offense, that equates to an average football team. Right now, UND is an average football team (5-6 or 6-5). Until the offense comes together, they wont be a playoff caliber squad. Fortunately, I think the offense has the potential to improve during the season, and with that, the team could perhaps reach the 7 win mark and possibly the FCS playoffs.

Pulling our starting QB after a 2-1 start is not the answer. Going back and forth does not promote chemistry and rapport, and Bubba wants this to have long-term perspective as we are building up this program, not just this team. The only true bad offensive play is a turnover, and Studsrud has thrown zero interceptions and led the team to zero turnovers in the two road contests of 2015 thus far. I EXPECT Studsrud to bounce back at home against UC Davis. If the running game gets going, and receivers are running wide-open on pass plays, and yet Studsrud can't capitalize, then there may be issues. However, in the past 6 quarters, there hasn't been any resemblance of a solid running game and WRs haven't been gaining separation to help out the QB position. You can't put poor QB play all on the QB himself; its so much easier to play that position when the people around you are contributing.